The national government’s total debt payments in the first four months of the year jumped 116.05 percent as amortization significantly rose from the previous year’s level, data released by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed.
According to the latest cash operations report, the national government’s debt payments in January to April stood at P770.48 billion, much higher than the P356.63 billion recorded during the same period a year ago.
Amortization rose by 242.51 percent to P582.25 billion from the P169.99 billion paid out in January to April 2022.
On the other hand, interest payments as of April totaled to P188.23 billion, which inched up 0.86 percent from the P186.63 billion paid out as of the same period the previous year.
In April alone, debt payments amounted to P204.76 billion, recording a significant increase from the P42.98 billion in the same period in 2022.
Amortization amounted to P158.51 billion which surged from the P5.67 billion recorded a year ago.
Interest payments, meanwhile, totaled to P46.25 billion, also 23.99 percent up from the April 2022 level of P37.3 billion.
The BTr also earlier reported that the national government’s gross borrowings in January to April fell by 6.23 percent year-on-year amid lower domestic financing.
According to the BTr, the government’s gross borrowings in the first four months of the year declined to P1.11 trillion from the P1.18 trillion recorded a year ago.
Gross domestic borrowings for the period accounted for the bigger chunk amounting to P780.79 billion, down 14.71 percent from the year ago level of P915.49 billion.
Gross external borrowings for the period jumped by 22.76 percent to P328.88 billion from P267.91 billion a year ago. – Angela Celis
